waitstaff-what if someone sends food back

[libby]

Just curious. Is it irritating when someone orders something and discovers that it is not to their liking? Would you, or your restaurant, expect that person to eat it and pay for it, or is it perfectly okay and expected that they would send it back, and then not be charged for it?

[BadGirl (Premo)]

Originally Posted by libby

Just curious. Is it irritating when someone orders something and discovers that it is not to their liking? Would you, or your restaurant, expect that person to eat it and pay for it, or is it perfectly okay and expected that they would send it back, and then not be charged for it?

It depends.

(A) Is the item being sent back because it isn't to their liking, as in "I *thought* I liked liver, but I really don't, and I thought I'd just give it another try"?, or

(B) Is the item being sent back because the medium-rare steak that you ordered came out well-done?

If the answer is (A), then the meal is on your dumb butt for ordering something that you knew you didn't love.

If the answer is (B), then you are justified in sending it back and asking that the meal be removed from your bill.

BUT, if the offending steak is removed, and replaced with a steak to your liking, you are merely inconvenienced for the time spent on preparing a second steak, and still should pay full price for your meal.

[kwillia]

Originally Posted by BadGirl

It depends.

(A) Is the item being sent back because it isn't to their liking, as in "I *thought* I liked liver, but I really don't, and I thought I'd just give it another try"?, or

(B) Is the item being sent back because the medium-rare steak that you ordered came out well-done?

If the answer is (A), then the meal is on your dumb butt for ordering something that you knew you didn't love.

If the answer is (B), then you are justified in sending it back and asking that the meal be removed from your bill.

BUT, if the offending steak is removed, and replaced with a steak to your liking, you are merely inconvenienced for the time spent on preparing a second steak, and still should pay full price for your meal.

What she said...

[MMM_donuts]

I think it's very cool when a server notices that someone isn't eating their meal, inquires about it, and helps out if they can.

Otherwise I am too afraid of retaliation to send anything back. I don't trust people.

[ItalianScallion (Premo)]

That happened Sunday afternoon at my regular haunt about 3 weeks ago. This "Norm" looking (Big and unkempt) guy ordered a riblet & chicken tenders meal. I was sitting at the bar right next to him and he devoured 2 orders of fries, 3 sodas, a bowl of soup and all of the chicken tenders, then he told the manager that he didn't like the riblets. The manager brought him another order of ribs and he said he didn't like them either. Remember; he ate everything else and then some.

Then he started in on the bar tender, saying that she (and other servers) touched the ends of the straws with their unclean hands. Now I know and have observed the bar tender regularly washing her hands so he's really reaching now.

The guy kept on fussing and finally said he's "going to the top and I have pictures" (which he didn't). He apparently does this for free food often. I told the manager that he should have let this guy "go to the top" because he doesn't have a legitimate case. If he didn't like the ribs, he should have stopped eating and called the manager but I sat right next to him and watched him devour everything except a few ribs before he started his tirade.

I told the manager to make him show a credit card or some cash, just to see if he intended to pay for his meal at all. Some people!

[dontknowwhy]

Originally Posted by BadGirl

It depends.

(A) Is the item being sent back because it isn't to their liking, as in "I *thought* I liked liver, but I really don't, and I thought I'd just give it another try"?, or

(B) Is the item being sent back because the medium-rare steak that you ordered came out well-done?

If the answer is (A), then the meal is on your dumb butt for ordering something that you knew you didn't love.

If the answer is (B), then you are justified in sending it back and asking that the meal be removed from your bill.

BUT, if the offending steak is removed, and replaced with a steak to your liking, you are merely inconvenienced for the time spent on preparing a second steak, and still should pay full price for your meal.

have to disagree. If you are "merely" inconvenienced while waiting on another steak, then the rest of your party gets inconvenienced as well.

1) You're sitting there hungry while the rest of your party are eating.
2) When your steak finally does arrive, everybody else is either finished or almost finished. I personally, don't like feeling like i'm holding up everybody else so I can eat. & if i'm brought complimentary rolls to tide me over, then i"m filled up on bread & don't want the rest of my meal...taking it home to heat up for lunch the next day just defeated the whole purpose of going out to enjoy my meal. Why would I pay full price for something I now have to wait until the next day to nuke & REALLY not enjoy?

If you screw up my meal, I'm not paying for it...I like to think of it as a "merely inconvenienced" penalty.

[Cheeky1]

Originally Posted by libby

Just curious. Is it irritating when someone orders something and discovers that it is not to their liking? Would you, or your restaurant, expect that person to eat it and pay for it, or is it perfectly okay and expected that they would send it back, and then not be charged for it?

Heh...depends if you intend to visit THAT particular restaurant again.

[Justme2]

Originally Posted by dontknowwhy

have to disagree. If you are "merely" inconvenienced while waiting on another steak, then the rest of your party gets inconvenienced as well.

1) You're sitting there hungry while the rest of your party are eating.
2) When your steak finally does arrive, everybody else is either finished or almost finished. I personally, don't like feeling like i'm holding up everybody else so I can eat. & if i'm brought complimentary rolls to tide me over, then i"m filled up on bread & don't want the rest of my meal...taking it home to heat up for lunch the next day just defeated the whole purpose of going out to enjoy my meal. Why would I pay full price for something I now have to wait until the next day to nuke & REALLY not enjoy?

If you screw up my meal, I'm not paying for it...I like to think of it as a "merely inconvenienced" penalty.

It means No tip

[libby]

For clarification, there was nothing wrong with the meal, it was just that it just was not to this person's liking. In fact, another at the table loved it and devoured it. I will say that the restaurant was ethnic, so the spices/seasonings may have been very unfamiliar, and then they were too strong at that.

It did seem that the waitress was a little surprised, which is why I ask. I've never worked in food service, and I've never sent a meal back (a big chicken, I am)

So I'm curious about whether it's expected that once in a while this will happen, and in an effort to please customers to restaurants and servers just suck it up?

[Sweet 16]

If it were up to me and you took a bite or two and it honestly wasn't to your liking or the food was just bad, I would either offer to replace the item or remove it from your bill. But, if you gobble down the entire meal and then complain, you're paying for it!

But, it's not up to me. I can't speak for all but some chain restaurants will remove the item from your bill when you complain, no questions asked. You won't believe how often this happens. People are such jerks and they know how to work it for a free meal.

I will say that if it was something that wasn't the waiter's fault (like gristle in your steak), and the item is taken off your bill, PLEASE TIP THEM ON THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT OF YOUR CHECK BECAUSE THEY STILL HAD TO SCHLEP YOUR FOOD FROM THE KITCHEN TO YOUR TABLE.....TWICE! And anyone who says that is not a hard job has never waited tables.